


liar, liar

by hazk



Series: Limbo [6]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Canon Compliant, Connects to "Deadlocked", Gen, Season/Series 15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 08:37:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16991658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazk/pseuds/hazk
Summary: “They hate you too.”





	liar, liar

_“This thing you’ve got going on here…”_

“Hmh.”

_“You’re putting a lot of effort into it.”_

“’course I am. How else is anyone ever getting anywhere in life.”

_“I wouldn’t call this living exactly, but sure. Mm-hmm.”_

“You know what I mean! We’re going to kick ass at this and take part in _saving the fucking world_ , like we should be! That’s like the, the pre-condition for living, right? Making sure not everyone ends up _dead –_ “

_“M-man, we've been over this; you’re not that selfless –"_

“…Stop laughing at me.”

_“Tryin’–”_

“Try harder!”

_“H-hush…”_

“W-wh- you’re shushing _me_ , seriously?!”

_“You don’t want them to come back and find you rambling to yourself on a private channel, while you're supposed to be on cleaning dut–“_

“– I don’t. Yeah, okay. Whatever. Think what you want. No way would I be risking my life for, what? Fame? Seriously, what do you think I’m gaining here…”

_“Ehh… Alright, I’ll give you that; you’re obviously not in here to win in any popularity votes… But you’re not getting send anywhere fast if you keep sucking as bad as you are for much longer. You got to know that.”_

“Biff…”

_“Get pissed at me if you want, Mark, just giving you friendly, honest advice here – can’t blame me for that.”_

“Like you’re doing any better than me at –!”

 _“Like I want to be doing any better than you._ _What do you think I’m supposed to gain if you’re not getting in and they pick me instead? No thanks.”_

Temple rolled his eyes and scoffed, picking up the mop. “I’m not going to fail.”

 _“…You’re literally cleaning other people’s shit for insubordination, thinking you’ve got a chance? Yeah, okay. You do! I mean, the only way you’re passing is if someone wants you as their personal meat shield, which is getting more likely by the day”_ , Biff sharply replied, some odd mixture of laughter and pity pulling at his voice, making it uneven.

The static didn’t help. It made Temple’s ears itch.

“They hate you too”, Temple pointed out, using practiced effort to ignore whatever thoughts Biff was attempting to get him to face and deal with. Lazily, he waved the mop around, just to look a little more productive in case someone did walk in on him not doing his job.

Biff had a point about trying to avoid getting in even more trouble, at least. It just wasn’t worth it.

After a long pause, Biff continued:

_“You’re not the only one putting in the effort, though… While you attempt to ace it, and fail by default, I’m just more focused on systematically sucking at this bullshit, from a safer distance. You know, to keep to your level."_

"Hah, right, because that’s gonna save you from –"

 _"Told you already… Mark, come on",_ Biff interrupted with a scoff. _"I’m not gonna be the one left behind in case they choose to send you home like you deserve. But wow was I not prepared for you to suck at this as bad as you are, it’s fucking hard to keep up! And here I thought I was supposed to be the one who lacked natural talent at everything."_

Temple's grip on the broom tightened and he grit his teeth, unable to get a word out.

 _“You suck”_ , Biff sang, playfully but still, and Temple ears stung.

“F-fuck off…! It’s not like I’ve been shooting at people before all this! It needs, I need to - I’ll get better! That’s the whole fucking point of training, can't expect people to be perfect from the get-go…” Temple snarled, which earned him a thoughtful hum from Biff.

 _“And now you’re, thankfully, running out of time. Believe me, we’re better off not sticking around”_ , Biff replied with a relaxed lilt back to his breath, which Temple was able to catch even with the channel crackling.  _"Even shooting people isn’t your problem._

_"I’ve said this before, but: Imagine, you on field, getting an actual shot in, then fainting at the first sight of blood. Alien blood. Wow, what a hero. Applause. Cue in me saving your ass, but oh, wait! I won't be there, will I?”_

Temple turned the radio off with a sharp click, causing Biff’s laugh to cut short although it still rang in his ears. Temple hit the mop on the floor, once and twice, and glared at the splashes of dirty water that the movement sent flying around.

“Fucker.”

Back to cleaning, Temple forced himself to think only of his goals. He had to do better. He had to become a soldier.

 

* * *

 

Not once had Biff told Temple he didn’t want to be there with him. Not once.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Limbo of no control, no progress, no improvement: _"Temple had never exactly considered himself a liar, in one sense of the word – the role had later been reserved by Biff, and the two of them were sure to complete each other since the early days of their childhood." ___


End file.
